Monet swiggles

Have you ever heard of a private art gallery exhibiting paintings by a world renown departed artist (usually reserved for a museum)?  Me either.  Well, I found one such gallery exhibiting the work of Claude Monet.  The artworks were on loan from private owners (or property of the gallery owner).  It’s really a rare privilege to see these paintings not shown to the public otherwise.

I’m reading a book about the lives of the Impressionist painters, including Monet.  This made the exhibit that much more personal.  He, like myself, had a hard time convincing dear dad to stand behind a career as an artist.  He also preferred to study at come-and-go-as-you-please studio owned by another artist instead of following the assumed path of study at the prestigious École des Beaux Arts.  Yeah! Who needs ‘em anyway?

I was amused by Monet’s sometimes light-hearted brush work, seemingly for paintings I assume were studies.  Up close, the lines look like child’s play.  At a distance, the swiggles seamlessly form cohesive landscapes.  I can hear my college painting professor telling me as he stood over my shoulder, “Get out of your chair.  You can’t see what you’re painting when you’re that close.  Hold your paintbrush like a sword, at arm’s length.”  I still sit while I paint, but I’ll admit, he was right.